


Can't Tell The Difference, Part 2

by Treon



Series: Can't Tell The Difference [2]
Category: White Collar (TV 2009)
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, FBI Sting, Gen, Neal not listening to Peter, Party, Purim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29676726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treon/pseuds/Treon
Summary: Neal is sent undercover to a party
Series: Can't Tell The Difference [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179560
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6
Collections: Purimgifts 2021





	Can't Tell The Difference, Part 2

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoveChilde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveChilde/gifts).



An hour into the party, Neal slipped back into the apartment. He'd already had too much to drink, and didn't want to get any drunker. 

"I'm going to see what I can find," Neal updated Peter.

"Neal, don't!" was Peter's immediate response. "It's too risky!"

"I'll just take a look," Neal answered back.

Peter knew better than to argue the point. "Be careful!"

Somebody was passed out on the couch, but otherwise the place was empty. The bedroom door was locked, but with a set of lockpicks, Neal quickly got past that. The room was dark, and though Neal had a working flashlight in his hard-hat, he did not want to turn it on, as the beam of light coming from inside might alert the party-goers outside. Instead, he put on gloves, and made a quick search of the room by touch. He checked behind the mirror on the wall and then behind a few paintings. He finally found what he was looking for in the corner of the room. A large, free-standing safe. This guy was serious.

Neal put his ear to the safe, and started turning the dial. He was drunk enough that he missed a few clicks, but he finally managed to open it. Inside, were a few paintings.

Neal removed one, a view of a river, made in pointillism style. He moved to the window, so he could appreciate the painting, but then a noise caused him to look up. 

"Somebody's coming," he whispered to his FBI handlers.

"Get out of there," Peter urged in his ear.

Neal put the painting back, but then paused. "I have a better idea."

"Neal!"

Neal ignored Peter's insistent voice. And indeed, when Sam walked in and turned on the lights, he found Neal standing by his open safe.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam demanded.

Neal took a few steps away from the safe, hands in front of him to show he was not armed. "I'm breaking into your safe," he answered, nonchalantly.

"You-" Sam spluttered, as his face contorted in rage. 

"If you want to keep your most valuable treasures, you shouldn't trust a safe that can be broken in less than five minutes," Neal added. It had taken him ten, but if he'd been in top shape, he could have done it much quicker.

Sam still had trouble finding the words. "Nick-"

"Neal," Neal corrected. "My name's Neal Caffrey. You can look me up."

After some hesitation, Sam reached for his phone, and googled Neal's name. He looked up quickly when it came up with a Wikipedia entry. 

"Read it," Neal encouraged him.

"Master thief and forger," Sam quoted. Neal didn't bother explaining that he'd written the entry himself. "You've got some chutzpah, coming here and trying to steal my stuff."

"I heard you were in the business too... I wanted to see for myself."

"What business?" Sam responded, just a tad too late.

"You've got a Cross in your little safe here, that's not something you see every day."

Sam chortled. "It's a Luce. So much for," he held up his phone again, "'Caffrey is considered by many to be a top expert in all art styles'." 

"I was close," Neal defended himself. "You stole it?"

"Somebody did, not that it's any of your business. Now get out."

"You're not going to call the police?" Neal sounded almost disappointed.

"Out!" Sam ordered. "And don't dare come here again, or I will call the police."


End file.
